[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Pieces on Peace" by Wil I. Jackson.]

3 out of 4 stars
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Pieces on Peace by Wil I. Jackson is a work of non-fiction that reads like a thesis on the concept of world peace. In this book, Jackson takes his time to describe what real and lasting world peace would look like. Then drawing from his personal experiences, his Christian faith, and some global historical events, he goes on to reveal the reasons why world peace has remained a difficult ask for such a long time.

Can world peace ever be realized? Are there ways to achieve it that we have either not discovered or never tried? Jackson addresses these questions in this book with grace and honesty. There may be suggestions in this book that will strike you as controversial, humanly impossible even. But if you keep an open mind while reading this, you may find yourself agreeing with some of the suggestions Jackson puts forward. You'll have to read this book to find out what they are, though.

Pieces on Peace was a delight to read. World peace is a sensitive subject and should always be treated as such. I was glad that the author agreed with this sentiment. Throughout this book, he made sure never to come off as though he had the non-negotiable solutions to this global problem. His writing was sensitive enough to be received by anyone but firm enough to let the reader know that he genuinely believed every word he wrote.

Jackson took a broader approach than I'm used to when it comes to discussing how to bring peace to the world. He did not put the onus solely on the shoulders of world governments. Instead, he asserted that we would have a better shot at realizing world peace if its influence starts first in individual relationships and smaller circles, like the home, church, mosque, school, workplace and more. I appreciated his honesty and vulnerability in pointing out the many failings in his own life, in the aforementioned smaller circles, and on the global front that have worked against the manifestation of world peace. The book wasn't all doom and gloom, though, as Jackson also revealed the things that we have handled correctly in this quest.

The arrangement of this book was unconventional. The author did not write in chapters, nor did he write one continuous body of work. Instead, he employed what he called 'pieces,' hence, the title of this book. These pieces were simply thoughts on the issues of world peace and global reconciliation. He had jotted these down as they came to him throughout his adult life. He then grouped the pieces that addressed similar issues into different sections so that the book would have a noticeable flow and progression. Consequently, the timeline jumped around a bit. This did not adversely impact my comprehension of the text in any way, though.

Throughout the book, I loved the author's insight on issues such as the Second World War, 9/11, racial bias and injustice, the political divide in America, and how all these and more were hampering the fight for world peace. His writing and personal experiences reflected his heart and desire for a world without war, bigotry, and hatred.

The only thing I am sad to note about Pieces on Peace is the number of grammatical and typographical errors that I found. These errors suggest that this book was not professionally edited. Although they did not dampen my enjoyment of the book, they were enough of them not to go unnoticed. This is the only reason I have to rate this book a 3 out of 4 stars.

In this book, the author made many references to his Christian faith. He also pointed to Jesus as the ultimate authority on peace, so I can imagine that it would appeal more to a Christian audience. However, being that peace is a global need, I would recommend this book to anyone – Christian or not – who yearns for a world without wars and conflicts, where love, peace, and community take precedence.